Honor guards march to get into position for the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania at Beijing airport on November 8, 2017 in Beijing, China, . Trump visited China as a part of his Asian tour.

Photo: Pool/Getty Images

Photo: Pool/Getty Images

US State Dept urges ‘increased caution’ for Americans traveling in China

The U.S. State Department updated its Level 2 travel warning for China, urging Americans to “exercise increased caution” when traveling in China because of “arbitrary enforcement of local laws” and “special restrictions on dual U.S.-Chinese nationals.”

to compel U.S. citizens to participate in Chinese government investigations,

to lure individuals back to China from abroad, and

to aid Chinese authorities in resolving civil disputes in favor of Chinese parties.

Many times, U.S. citizens only become aware of Chinese exit bans when they try to leave, and generally they are not provided a time frame on how long the ban will last. State Department officials also said that those detained under exit bans have been harassed or threatened.

Often those detained are not provided access to embassy or consular services and could be subjected to “prolonged interrogations and extended detentions,” officials said.

Sending private electronic messages can also get an American “detained and/or deported.”

Tensions between China and the U.S. have been ratcheting up over the past year as the Trump administration imposed stiff tariffs on Chinese goods and the Chinese retaliated on U.S. farmers.